1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of pulsation dampener devices, and particularly pulsation dampener devices adapted to be used in conjunction with chemical injection pumps or the like to dampen pulses in hydraulic systems handling highly corrosive liquids.
2. The Prior Art
The use of pulsation dampeners to dampen pulses in hydraulic systems is today commonplace. Such pulsation dampener devices typically comprise a pressure vessel divided into two chambers, notably a gas chamber and a chamber in communication with the liquid under pressure, the chambers being separated by a flexible resilient separator, illustratively a diaphragm. Upon the occurrence of pressures in the liquid system in excess of pressure in the gas charged chamber, fluid enters through the liquid port, unseating the diaphragm or a valve member mounted upon the diaphragm, from the liquid port, causing the compression of gas and the storage of energy therein. When the liquid pressure falls below the gas pressure, the expanding gas shifts the diaphragm toward the liquid port, returning the stored energy to the liquid.
By the use of such systems, pulses generated by cyclically operated pumps or the like are dampened and the fluids downstream of the dampener device operate with pulses of a limited magnitude.
Pulsation dampeners are frequently used in chemical systems, i.e. in connection with chemical injection pumps which may include highly corrosive liquids. In such environments, it is obvious that the pressure vessel, or at least those portions of the vessel which will contact the liquids and the diaphragm, must be made of corrosion resistant materials, greatly adding to the expense of production.